The saint who battled barbarism

Máel Máedóc Ua Morgair – or, as we call him, St Malachy – is perhaps best known today for his association with the so-called Prophecy of the Popes. The Prophecy consists of 112 enigmatic Latin phrases said to predict the identities of the popes, starting with Celestine II. It was first published in 1595 by a Benedictine called Arnold Wion, who presented St Malachy as the author. Most scholars consider the document to be a fake, however.

Born in Armagh in 1094, Malachy grew up in a country where Christianity had been in decline since the Viking raids of the ninth and 10th century. On top of the destruction of monasteries and other physical property, the Norsemen had also made a more lasting impact on the spiritual architecture of Ireland. In some parts, paganism had returned and in many others mere apathy towards Christianity had grown.
Trained under Imhar O’Hagan, the future Abbot of Armagh, Malachy was ordained by St Cellach in 1119 and then spent two years under St Malchus in County Waterford, becoming Abbot of Bangor in 1123, Bishop of Down and Connor in 1124 and, finally, primate in 1132.

Most of what we know of his life comes from St Bernard, who tells us that while in Bangor he brought monks to County Kerry after their residence was destroyed in a feud. So riddled with conflict was Ulster at the time that it took two years for Malachy to even take possession of his see because it was occupied by a pretender. Malachy even had to buy his staff off the man. As Cardinal-Archbishop of Armagh, he restored the Roman Liturgy, championed religious marriage, promoted Confession and Confirmation, and improved clerical discipline.

Having “extirpated barbarism and re-established Christian morals”, Malachy resigned in 1136 and founded a priory. He travelled to England, Scotland and France, meeting Bernard at Clairvaux. In 1148 he set out on a journey to Rome, but fell sick at Clairvaux and died in Bernard’s arms. His friend then went on to write the Life of St Malachy, paying tribute to his modesty, meekness and humility. After Bernard died, the two men were buried close to each other, with some of the remains of Malachy transferred to the Cistercian Mellifont Abbey in Ireland.